Island



' Aug. 10, r1926.

G. S. BARROWS VALVE Filed Feb. l5 1926 '2 Sheets-Sheet 2 T77 vez? 'to2' Patented Aug. 10, 1926.

Unirse srarss ATENT FFICE.

GEORGE S. BARROWS, OF PROVDENCE, RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOR 'IO GENERAL FBE EXTING-UbHER COMPANY, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND, GORPORATIN GF DELAWARE.

VALVE.

Application filed February 13,1926. Serialy No. 88,153.

This :invention relates to improvements in valves. More especially it relates to a coinbined shut oil and thermostatic control valve for apparatus controlling the rlow or fluid. The invention is herein particularly described and shown in a iorm which is suitable for application to a gas radiator, where it controls flow oit' luel to a burner whose heat affects a thermo-responsive control element oit the valve; but this is merely illustrative o'lf one use to which it may be put.

It is an object of the invention to provide inexpensive control apparatus of simple, compact and rugged construction which can be adjusted with ease and which will act with certainty to ell'ect the nicety of control desired. It is also an object to provide apparatus which can be set manually to maintain the valve closed or open irrespective or the subsequent action of the `thermo-responsive parts. It is a feature that the forces concerned and the parts moved act all in alignment along` a single aXis, and that one of these interconnected parts is ot a resilient character which permits its yielding as the valve is seated. It is also a feature that this yieldable member' is the thermostatic element and that this element is so shaped and disposed that it may continue to respond to risey ottemperature after it hasett'ected a seating of the valve without harm or daniagn ing strain.

These objects and the features which chai acterize the structure herein disclosed are attained by providing a casing which may be generally cylindrical, having a 'valve seat within concentric with its axis. The valve proper is a simple flat disk and is attached to one leg oi a U-shaped thermostatic bar spring. In the preferred form ot the invention the other leg of this thermo-respon sive spring is attached to a screw stein which can be turned from outside the casing to sel' the valve at any desired distance or pressure relation with its seat. lllhen in operation, the :initial setting is away from its seat, so that upon rise of temperature consequent respouse ot' the thermostatic bar will move the valve toward its seat to cut down the How, and will ultimately seat it if the temperature rises high enough. In another 'lorm of the apparatus, the U-bar is connected between the valve and a Wall ot the casing so that By providing a valve seat ol' large perimv eter, the flow controlled by the'valve may be varied through the desired range by relatively small movements oi' the valve disk toward and away from its seat.v This permits the selection of desired setting oi the valve to be effected within a single turn of the adjusting screw, thus permittingthe use 01:-

a scale and pointer turning above the aXiS of the screw for designating the desired adjustment. By proper correlation of the moving parts, it also makes possible the production in one unit of a shut-olf valve which can be operated both rmanually and auton K matically. u

It is intended that the patent shall cover by suitable expression in the appended claims, whatever features of patentable novelty exist in the invention disclosed.

in the accompanying drawings Figure l isa plan 'of the preferred form of the apparatus;

Figure 2 is a medial section on line 2-2 of Figure l;

Figure 3 is a section online 3 3 of Figure l, but With the arm latehed;

Y Figure 4f is a medial section of a m0di lication of the apparatus; and

Figure 5 is a bottom plan of the valve of Figure 3.

Referring to the drawings the valve comprises a cylindrical casing l0 having a valve chamber l2 into which gas is led through a supply pipe ll, and from kwhich the gas passes through a relatively large opening 16 in the bottom of the chamber to pipe l leading to the burner. Around the edge of opening 16 is a raised rim forming a valve seat 18 on which the valve dish 20 may rest to cut off the flow of gas through opening 16.

ln the preferred i'orm of the device this valve is a plane disk having; a boss on its upper side to receive a screw 22 which loosely engages one arm of a U-shaped thermostatic spring bar 24. The other arm of this Ll-bar is secured to a stem 26 which enters the Clt Cil

chamber 'l2 thr'ough its top, in which it is threaded. For purposes of manufacture and assembly the top is a plug closure 28. To prevent leakage past this stein a suitable packing 30 andv nut 32 may be provided. Suitable means, as a pointer-shaped linger or arm 3st is mounted on the outer end of' the stein 26 so that the latter can be turned to set the valve inward or outward at a desired position with respect to its seat. Because of the large circumterence of the seat the dis )lacement ot the disk away `from it need be relatively. smallto effect the desired valve opening; This makes it possible to connect the thermostatic element directly to the valve, Vbecause the range of travel of the U-bar is ample to. effect the desired travel ofthe valve. Furthermore, it permits a suitable pitch to be chosen of threads on stem. 26 which will enable the valve to-be moved between full-on and liiullotl') positions during less than a single rotation ot the stein. lit the pitch chosen is wide enough it may be preferable toiuse aidouble thread in plare ot the single thread illustrated. This makes it possible iorthe full range ot travel ot the valve to be indicated on a single scale oiE less than a circumference. To this endl a raised cap 36 may be provided on the-top o'tv the casing, iiponmvliich is inscribed a4 scale or indica tions, showing by the word Ott that whenthe pointer 311 is swung to one limit, against a raised stop 36 the valve is closed, andy when swung around to the other side of the stop, pointing to the word Gn, the valve is hilly opened; In the particular embodiment illustrated; suitable'arins or` lugs 88 are cast on the easing: 1.0 by whiclrthevalve is attached to a suitable support.

In operation, as for example iniconnection with. a gas` burner, tocontrol its supply oil fuel, for starting the burner the armI 3ft is to be: swung tothe full-on position and` the gasy ignited. As the temperature ot the thermostatie U+bar 24 risesits armsy spread. Since one arm oi the U is fast to the stem 26, the full spreading is accomplished by movement of the other arm, and the valve which it` carries toward the seat. A desired temperature of the thing which is being heated having been attained, the arin 3l may beswung toward the'tlosed `positionuntil the valve is seated; This will occur before the lever. reachesr the oitV positionV because the thermostat willv have already acted tomove the valve part way toward its seat. la7-ith the valve thus closed the main flame will be cut down to very. small proportions, for` which gas is supplied through the by-passagefll. Upon the temperature of the U-bar bec-oming less its arms will contract, and the valve will be. thus lifted, allowing gas to flowthrough tliering/ opening above its seat and establish a large flame again. However, it is possible by setting the arm with the valve open a little to provide so that the thermostat and valve remains substantially unchanged while the liame burns steadily, supplying heat to its utility, at a steady rate, as distinguished from intermittent action; and in this case it temperature ot the thermostat in*- creases or decreases the size of the ila-me will be reduced or enlarged automatically, so that there is still a continuous flame, which varies in size according to need, as deter'- mined by the setting ot the arm 34. lVben the llame is to be shut ott permanently,the resiliency of the U-bar permits the valve to be set against its seat, anelito be pressed;

thereagainst with such .resiliency of the U-bar that when the latter has fallentoa lower temperature it' still does notI openthe valve but continues` topress it tightly shut.

lut-his case ot' permanent closure the arln.;l.

would be liftedr slightly by its hand knob 40 and swung along the stop plate 36 until the endo'f'the stein 40 et the knob dropped ino a` recess 36h in the plate. rllhis engagementwould .lock the valve against accidental,

counterclockwise until the stem 40 entered,

the recess 36h. If desired, the capBG may be 'providedy with a raised portion36c having spaced depressions 36d therein for latching the arm at selectedsettings in its swing.

ln the embodiment shown-in Figures 4e and 5 the casing 10 has in its upper portion an inlet chamber' l2` valve 20', andV thermostatic U-bar 24', all similar to the cor-responding parts described in connectionv with Figures l and2. ln thiscase, however, one arm of the Ubar is secured rotatably to the lined top of the chamber, which in the instance illustratedis a closure plug 28. A. stud 29 is threaded into the plug, and has a shoulder 29', slightly deeper than the thickness of the Urbar, which forms the bearing upon which the bar can turn relative to the stud so that in assembling, as the plug is screwed in and the bow or" the bar brings up against thevlugV l0 on the wall of the casing, the plug cancontinuetov-rotate without swinging the bar. The other end oi the U-bar simply rests on the boss 20-l on valve 20', and tends constantly toiurge-the valvel towardlits-seat. The adjustment ot' thevvalve disk 20 with respect to its seat is effected by a stem 26 which is threaded through the;

` the stem 26 and the valve disk 20.

In assembling this type of valve the U- bar is given an initial set so that at a suitable low ten'iperature its strength will hold the valve on its seat in opposition to the torce exerted by the coiled spring when the disk 26 is near the bottom of the outlet chamber. lWhen the burner is started a star wheel $54/ secured to stem 26 is turned until an arm 52, also attached to the stem, strikes a lug l0 on the casing. The consequent rotation of the stem moves it axially to further compress the spring y50. The ioree 'thus stored in the spring lifts the valve trom its seat, thereby causing the U-bar to yield and bring its arms closer together. The rise in temperature, following the ignit- Aing oi the gas, causes the bar arms to diverge and thus to move the valve toward its seat. By suitably setting the star wheel 34 any desired relation between the spring forces may be attained and the valves movements controlled to etlect closure at a desired temperature. rind by retracting the spring until it olers no appreciable effect on the valvea the torce ot the U-bar can be depended. upon to keep the valve closed indelinitely. When the valve is seated, gas can tlow into the outlet chamber 4:8 through bypass #lo in sufficient quantity to maintain a 'flame ot pilot size 'if desired. The posi tioning oit' the valve between two opposed spring` forces results in a smooth travel of the valve toward and from its seat, and insures that the valve will not stiel; to its seat it lett closed for a long period oi time.

ln both illustrations all the moving parts are arranged in alignment with the forces actingl substz'tntially along the axis of the casing. This aids in the casting and the mae chine operations oi manufacture and in the assembling of the valve.

I claim as my 'invention 1. A thermostatic control valve comprising a casing having an inlet chamber; an outlet chamber; a valve seat between them; a valve in the inlet chamber; a coiled spring in said outlet chamber adapted to extend through said seat and yieldingly to support said valve away from said seat; and a thermostatic spring in said inlet chamber acting on. said valve in opposition to said coiled spring and adapted upon rise of temperature to tend more strongly to force said valve toward its seat.

2. Control apparatus for a gas burner comprising a casing having an outlet chamber connected to the burner; an inlet chamber connected with a supply of gas; a valve seat between said chambers; a valve in said inlet chamber seating in the direction ot tlow of gas and supported away from its seat by two springs; one of said springs being coiled within said outlet chamber and arranged to extend through the valve seat into said inlet chamber against one side o't' said valve; and the other spring being a U- shaped thermostatic bar with one end fastened to the casing and its operating end pressing on the opposite side of said valve in opposition to said coiled spring and adapted upon rise of temperature to overcome the torce ot said coiled spring and to move the valve toward its seat, thereby to regulate the tlow of gas to the burner. v

3. Control apparatus for a gas burner comprising a casing of approximately cylindrical configuration adapted to be supported with its axis vertical; an inlet chamber at the top connected with a supply of gas; an outlet chamber at the bottom connected to the'burner; a valve seat between said chambers; a disk valve in said inlet chamber adapted to be seated by gravity in the direction of llow of the gas; a spring coiled within the outlet chamber with its upper end engaging` the under side oi said disk valve, and being adapted to extend into the inlet chamber and support the valve away from its seat; a threaded stem engaging the lower end of said coiled spring and extending axially through the bottom oi' the valve casing; a hand lever mounted eXteriorly on said stem tor changing its position axially of the casing, to vary the valve displacing effect ot' the coiled spring; a U-shaped thormostatic bar having its operating end pr ssing on the upper side of the disk valve; and a .removable cover in the upper end of said casing to which the other end of said U-bar is attached; said U-bar being adapted upon rise of temperature to overcome the displacing,- e'li'ect oi? the coiled spring and to move the valve toward its seat, thereby to regulate the tlow ot gas to the burner.

Signed at Boston, Massachusetts, this 19th day of January 1926.

GEORGE S. BARROVS. 

